Confining the war to Ukraine

Joe Biden’s assurance that he will provide Kyiv with more advanced rocket systems that will enable it to strike more precisely key targets on the battlefield in Ukraine is a welcome development amid rising concern about significant Russian military advances in the Donbas. What remains to be seen is whether those systems will include the long-range rockets that President Volodymyr Zelensky believes he needs urgently to overcome the strong artillery and rocket advantage Russia has in the war.

The US President has indicated concern about providing long-range rockets: “We are not going to send to Ukraine rocket systems that strike into Russia,” he said on Sunday. In doing so, he appeared to reject Mr Zelensky’s plea for long-range missiles. The Wall Street Journal accused him of “once again reassuring Vladimir Putin about what the US won’t do” for fear of provoking retaliation from the Russian leader. On Wednesday, however, Mr Biden gave a firm assurance he would give Ukraine “more advanced rocket systems and munitions … to more precisely strike key targets in the battlefield in Ukraine”. With the war at a critical stage, 100 days after it started, it is important that Kyiv is provided with the weapons it needs to turn back the Russian advance in the Donbas and prevent whatever victory the Russian despot sees as his objective after his failure to take Kyiv.

The Ukrainian people and armed forces continue to mount heroic resistance. They command the admiration and support of the free world. Mr Biden’s concern not to provide weapons that could lead to a direct Ukrainian assault on Russian territory, and escalation of the conflict, is reasonable. NATO governments had the same concerns when they rejected Mr Zelensky’s pleas for the imposition of a no-fly zone that would have been used against Russian aircraft, radar and surface-to-air missile sites. There were widespread fears a no-fly zone could precipitate potential nuclear confrontation.

If the US wants Ukraine to fire at targets only inside Ukraine, it should be able to make that clear. But Mr Biden must not give in to Kremlin warnings about what help it will and will not allow the US to provide.